Back to the Beginning
by Tsunaswordrainguardian1
Summary: After getting jobs of their own, Yugi and friends are walking back from the jobs when they are shot by thugs. Tea is the only one to get by unscathed, and Yugi—the only other one alive—gives her his two decks and tells her to go to Kaiba. Rated M for "past", present, and future themes in the story.


**Summary: After getting jobs of their own, Yugi and friends are walking back from said jobs when, suddenly, they are shot at by thugs. Tea is the only one to get by almost unscathed, and Yugi-the only other one alive of the group-gives her his two decks and tells her to go to Kaiba.**

**This is a Time-Travel fanfic. I will try making it Yugi/Atem x Tea, but it will probably end up being Kaiba x Tea. This story will be rated Mature for death, cursing, violence, and (most likely) some sexual themes. You have been warned. Back out now, or enjoy.**

…**Still here? Good; then let's get on with the story!**

Chapter 1: Side-By Shooting and Chemistry

"_Run! _Save_ yourself, Tea!" Tristan yelled to Tea. She stood, shocked to the bone, as his head was disconnected from his body by a scimitar. She tried to run, but couldn't as the killer advanced on her._

"_Oh _no you don't!_" Screamed the voice of Joey, as he tackled the man. "Run, Tea! I'll hold 'im off! Just run!" She started to run, tears rushing out of her closed eyes as she heard Joey's agony and the sound of metal against flesh and bone._

_She ran, sprinted as fast as her thin legs would carry her, but she knew it wasn't enough as the sound of heavy footstep were advancing closer._

"_No! Stop!" she screamed as loudly as she could as she turned around to defend herself. As the man was about to slash her, several orbs of violet contacted his skin and burned him. As she turned, she saw the loving eyes of Yugi Mutou and his most prised magicians, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl-or, as he called them now, Mahad and Mana. She opened her mouth to thank him; but instead, a scream found it's way out as he was stabbed by the scimitar._

"_Tea…take…them….Take them, and…save our regrets…." Yugi murmured as he collapsed on the man-who, now, was advancing her with a smirk on his face._

"NO!"

She opened her eyes, panting as she heard the sound of birds chirping and several duelers battling each other. _'Just a dream…again.'_ she tiredly thought, as she pathetically dressed herself for her job.

A few days ago, she had gotten a job at the new pizzeria in town-Neos Pizza. Apparently there was a dueling prodigy named Yuki Jaden, who had recently graduated from Duel Academy, that used 'Elemental Heroes'. Neos, his most famous card, was an inspiration to practically everyone in town (including her new boss).

She laughed weakly, as she remembered Joey's 'advice' to the boss of the pizzeria after she was accepted. Though she wasn't picked on at the restaurant, Joey unfortunately wasn't allowed to enter for a few months. She still giggled whenever she saw him pacing outside the shop, a hungry look on his face at the food everyone was eating. She laughed even sadder as she fastened the bow at the back of her apron, knowing that there was more than the food he was hungrily looking at. _'And he still doesn't know yet….'_

As she finished tying her shoes, she jogged her head for the dream. _'That's the third time this week I've had that dream. It feels as though I'm trying to tell myself something, but what?'_ She heard the buzzer ring as she finished her thought, and she pressed the button to intercept her friends' voices.

"_Hey Tea, you ready to go, yet?"_ the deep voice of Tristan impatiently called out to her.

"_Don't wanna be late, Tea!"_ the obviously lighter voice of Joey rang out. A tick-mark appeared on her head, but she answered back softly.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a sec; don't get you panties in a twist." She couldn't help giggling as she heard the childish growls of the two. She got her keys, cell, and wallet and left the room-locking the door, of course. As she walked down, she couldn't help but look at the three friends that were waiting for her-all of whom were blushing madly, but she wouldn't tell them that.

Tristan, in the past seven years since they had finished the Tomb Keepers' quest, had grown about half a foot taller-and a beard that rivaled Chuck Norris', she laughed. Wearing his new duel disk (like Yuki's, except in black), he also wears an apron. He works two jobs, one of them at one of the only places whose name was not inspired by Duel Monsters: Subway. Every once in a while, she comes over for a free foot-long, paid for by Tristan himself (she insists, time and time again, that she should pay; he just smiles and tells her that helping him with his other job-assisting Joey and Yugi in teaching the next generation of duelists-was payment enough).

Joey, as said in the last paragraph, is one of the instructors at the Domino City Dueling School-a new institution for adopted and abused children to learn the art of Duel Monsters. Wearing a black leather jacket with the 'DCDS' logo above his heart and dark blue jeans, he stands up to about the height of Tristan (much to the latter's delight). His hair is still the same style it was all that time ago, albeit the same color as Tristan's (much to the latter's dismay). His duel disk is the same as it had always been-and the years agree, thought Tea, as she looks at the dents and scratches on the once perfect machine. He has the same 'Jumpin' Joey Smirk' on his face, although his eyes show his great maturity jump.

Finally, Yugi: he had grown much taller than he was (about as tall as Tea, though not nearly as tall as the two rice-stalks with legs) and, ironically enough, looks like an almost perfect replica of the Pharaoh, Atem, whom had inhabited his body for a few years. He, also, had his leather jacket and duel disk (shining and unscratched), and also had a name-tag that let everyone know he was 'principal' of the DCDS. He had his Fiend-type deck on him (he had given the Pharaoh's deck to Tea, whom had taken care of his with almost a reverence) in his belt, which, ever since the Ceremonial Duel, had only lost once-to Tea, who had been given that very deck as the prize, as well as the title of 'temporary' (Joey reminded, as his determination to win against the King of Games had never wavered) _Queen_ of Games by Yugi himself.

"Hey Tea, ready to go? Tea?" Tristan asked as she was in one of her 'stupors'-in which Tea would stare at Yugi for an extended period of time, much to Joey's annoyance. Living up to that title, Joey snapped his fingers in front of her face multiple times until she snapped out of it. She glared at Joey and turned away, a deep blush forming on her face.

"Yeah, let's go," she said as she looked at Yugi again. There was a smile on Yugi's face, but the sadness in his eyes let her know that he knew what-or who-was on her mind.

As they walked, Yugi decided to spark a conversation with Tea. "How did you sleep, Tea?" he asked with care. They all knew that she was very fragile in temperament ever since the dreams started; and they made very sure to not tread too far into her personal life, no matter the level of friendship.

She looked at Yugi with a look that said _'How do you think'_ written all over it, but she answered anyway. "The same."

"You know we can take care of ourselves Tea, you don't need to worry 'bout us!" Joey smirked.

Tea glared at him. "What he _means_ to say," Yugi interrupted-in that sexy voice, she minded, "is that we have gone through many life-threatening situations. Whether or not we are in danger, we always make it out alive."

Tea caught the slight waver in his voice-he didn't quite believe his answer, and he knew that; he wanted Tea to not worry. Tea frowned.

"Fine…"

They continued to walk, until they stopped at the Dueling School. As Joey and Tristan said goodbye, Yugi stayed outside.

"Yugi…I have this feeling that something's going to happen today."

There was a pause. "Yes, I have the same feeling as well." Yugi mused, frowning. "However, that shall not keep us from living out our lives the way we have been living them. We will do what we have been doing for the past years and-"

"I have…something to tell you." Tea interrupted.

"Can it wait?" Yugi asked.

There was another pause. "Yeah…" she mumbled.

Yet another pause. "I…have to go." he said awkwardly. "You can tell me after you get off from work, alright?"She looked at him. "Alright." she said, a frown on her face. He hugged her and walked inside. She made her way off to work, one thought on her mind.

{Time skip, to 6:00 pm}

Tea walked back to the Dueling School, seeing the three buddies of hers outside already.

"Have a good time, Tea?" Joey asked.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, a grateful smile on her face. He grinned sheepishly back. She sighed, '_just like it's always been' _she thought as she started walking with them.

They walked about fifty feet, and two things happened all at once.

The temperature dropped about twenty degrees.

All hell broke loose.

Gunfire broke out from all sides, and she heard a muffled yelp as Tristan fell to the ground. Joey got shot in the side, but that didn't stop him from dragging the dead comrade to behind the garbage where he too dropped dead.

"Tristan! Joey!" Tea screamed out. Just like her dream….

The last thing she remembered was a thump to her forehead.

-6-/I\\\-9-

'_Ugh…'_ thought Tea. She felt like she had just woken up from a major hangover. Which was then she remembered.

'_NO!'_

She opened her eyes, darkness reigning over the alley she was in. She saw the bloody bodies of Tristan and Joey (the latter slumped over the former) and Yugi, who was face-down in the pavement of the alleyway.

"Yugi!" she yelled. She scrambled over to him, noticing the blood issuing from her leg-but she didn't care. "Yugi…Yugi?" she murmured.

{Cough!}

Blood went all over her face, but she didn't care as Yugi miraculously sat up. "T-Tea…?" the man asked.

"You're alive!" she whispered. _'Oh Ra! Thank you! Thank you so much!'_

"T-Tea…" Yugi said softly. She suddenly realized that her happiness was short-lived-and so was his life, if she didn't do something fast.

"Tea…I don't have much longer…I have to-""_No!_ I won't leave you! You're going to live, you got that!" she cried.

Yugi smiled appreciatively at her. "No, Tea…I don't. I have to…tell you something…" he said as he put his hand towards his belt.

"Take this," he whispered, shoving his deck into her bloodied hands. His Fiend-deck. "That's what they came for.""Yugi…" she stared at his face, never looking away.

"And these," Yugi murmured, as she gave him the three Egyptian God Cards and…his backpack.

"Please…go to Kaiba. Hurry…"

"Yugi…please don't…"

"Tea…" Yugi said, his voice sounding clearer than ever, "what did you want to tell me?"

Tea gulped. "Y-Yugi…I…_I…I love you…_"

A smile crept its way onto Yugi's face. "Tea…thank…you." He said as his head dropped in her bloodied lap.

She sat there, going over the whole situation at hand. "Yugi," she murmured pleadingly, as though her words would make him rise from her lap, "Yugi…don't go…"

She cried. The expression on Yugi's face, as his eyes lost their sight, was of pure bliss.

She cried. The small beam of light, as it hit Joey and Tristan, made it seem like they were off to heaven, to Atem.

She cried, and the Gods wept with her. She cried, as the temperature dropped ten degrees in Domino City. She cried, and-

His cell phone rang. She fumbled around with pressing the call button as she wiped the tears off her face. "H-hello?" she answered.

"…Tea?" the voice of Seto Kaiba answered. "Where's Yugi?"

It finally hit her. He was dead.

"He…he…"

"Tea, what happened to Yugi?"

"Kaiba…they're all dead…THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" she screamed, her face now drowning in tears.

"_What?_" His disbelieving voice rang through the phone like a bell.

There was silence.

"Tea…where are you?"

"Th-the alley," she answered, damming another river of tears, "about fifty feet in front of DCDS…"

"I'll be there in a second." His rough voice was the last she heard before Kaiba Corp. was suddenly ablaze. Rockets hitting it everywhere, the Blue-Eyes White Jet barely had time to land before it, too, was plummeting to the ground in a blaze of fire worthy of the American Fourth of July.

"Kaiba!" she screamed as she got up and limped quickly towards the downed dragon. Her leg was pathetically dragging behind her, and she knew it was now dead. She grabbed onto the hot metal and screamed Kaiba's name until she saw him crawl out of the jet.

"Kaiba! What's happening?" she screamed.

He looked up towards the about-to-collapse building. "It's happening…"

"_What's happening?_ Kaiba, what's-"

"Come with me," he said, dragging her with him to the side of the building. _'That building looks ready to fall any second…'_ she thought.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as they stopped in front of a rose bush. Kaiba put his hands in the rose bush-_'his hands are going through the branches?'_-dialed a few numbers and stood back as the bush divided to reveal a cellar.

"We don't have much time…we have to hurry!" Kaiba said as he grabbed her yet again and dragged her inside, the door shutting behind them. As they reached an elevator at the end of a corridor, she heard a rumbling as the door opened.

"Hurry!" Kaiba ordered as he pushed them both in. The last she saw before the door closed was the cellar opening collapsing under the weight of hundreds of tons of Kaiba Corporation.

She screamed as the debris almost made it through the door. The elevator plummeted towards what seemed the center of Earth for a minute until it abruptly stopped. Kaiba immediately pulled her through the door as she hang on to him for dear life.

"What happened to your leg?" he asked as they headed through yet another corridor.

"Got shot," she answered briefly, "It's dead."

"Here," Kaiba stopped abruptly, crouching a few inches, "climb on my back. It'll be faster this way."

She wasn't in the mind to argue, so she climbed onto his back. She was growing blurry by the second.

Blackout. Then, her face was shaken by Kaiba.

"Here we are," Kaiba said, "practically impenetrable. Only a Hydrogen Bomb could reach this point. Now," he faced her, a caring yet stern look on his face, "tell me what happened."

She told him the whole story. She didn't have anymore tears to shed, and the shadows on and in her eyes showed it. Nearing the end, he motioned for the backpack. She gave it to him. Reaching inside, he pulled out a towel and handed it to Tea. She stared at it, and Kaiba told her to wipe her face.

"I…I'm so confused…" she murmured as she put down the towel (after wiping, of course). "What's happening?"

"They're after this," Kaiba answered as she looked up. Inside was a large vial of a greenish liquid.

"What's that?" she said.

"This, Tea, is the unfinished product to a serum for time-travel.

"Time-travel? Is that even possible?"

"Yes, it is. Unfortunately, we need two things to finish it off. It's only capable of sending gerbils into the past, and only to about ten seconds. What we need, are this," he pulled out a jug labeled 'HCl', "and…he didn't have it."

"…Kaiba…" Just then, Yugi's deck fell out of the backpack, and the Dark Magician Girl card split in two.

Kaiba's eyes shot open into saucers. "No way…" he lifted up two thin objects from between the cards. Two strands of hair. "How'd he do it…?"

"What is…is that hair?" Tea asked. _'Why would Yugi have two strands of hair in his deck?'_

"This isn't _just hair_," he answered, "this is the hair of Mana! But…I thought he couldn't do it…." A smirk appeared on his face. "That geek…" he laughed, "of course they could do it!"

Laughing maniacally, he dumped the container of Hydrochloric Acid and the two hairs into the vial. Immediately the liquid started to glow.

"_What is it?_" she asked curiously.

"This, is a mixture of sugar cane, Egyptian Sand, Hydrochloric Acid, the hair of a magician, and whatever else the hell he put in here."

He suddenly went into a rant about how the sugar and HCl reacted to make other compounds. This reacted to that, that reacted to this, and the end result made an almost never-ending reaction.

She started dozing off again as he suddenly stopped. "Hey, I'm not _that_ boring, am I?"

"I don't know, the adventures we went on, I would call you _more than_ the opposite."

To this he laughed. "Yeah; I follow the geek squad and yell at the mutt-"

To this she grimaced. _"Don't you DARE call him a mutt! He's dead; I don't care if you didn't like him, you RESPECT HIM!"_

It was his turn to flinch. "S-sorry."

There was a pause. "What do we do?"

"Well," Kaiba mused, "we could either sit down here for days and starve, or," he pulled out the vial, "you could drink this and change the past."

"So _I_ could change the past? What about you? You're not going to starve on _my _watch!"

"Oho? So what do you plan we do, Mother?"

A tick-mark appeared on her head. "Isn't it obvious?"

"We both starve?"

"You _idiot!_ I mean we _both _take it!"

"There's not enough."

"Enough for what? How far exactly does this send me if I drink it?"

"Being a five year old."

"_Hell no!_ I won't be that young! Not with _these _memories!"

"But-"

"If we both drink the same amount, we_ should _end up going back to the time around where we…met Atem, right?"

He blanched. She sighed. _'Well, everyone has their faults, I guess.'_

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

"The end of the world?" Kaiba answered. She glared at him, and he immediately went to retrieve two clear glasses. After pouring as even an amount as possible, they clanged their glasses together.

"Cheers," Tea started.

"To life and-"

"Just drink." And so they did.

Immediately, she felt the worst sensation of stomach pain possible. She-and Kaiba, she guessed-doubled over, trying their hardest not to vomit. Suddenly, she watched as her hand began to fade.

"It-it's working!" she yelled. She saw as Kaiba, too, was disappearing.

"Well, see you later…or sooner," he replied. She just smiled.

The last thing she could remember was the smile on Kaiba's face as the world faded into black.

**Well, that's the first chapter! Hope you all like what's happening so far, and I'll update as soon as I can!**

**Remember: no flames, only constructive criticism-or, if you're going to flame me, give me a hell of a good reason why. Until the next chapter (or until I reply to your review), Sayonara!**


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